The Truth of the Moon
by Metronomes Beat
Summary: When he called out his partner's name to fight Aizen, what escaped his lips was far different from what he remembered. And it was with both fear and awe that the others looked upon him...Oh jeeze, what rule has he broken now?
1. Prologue:In Which the Sun and Moon Speak

**The Truth of the Moon**

**Shineti no Getsuei**

**Disclaimer:** While I am a writer and artist, I do not own any characters featured in Bleach that make their appearances here. Any other characters are taken from mythology and bear no copy right with any one person.

With that said, I hope you enjoy the show ladies and gents. Ah, this is AU, but doesn't actually start being AU till the fight with Aizen.. this chapter takes place at the start of the Hueco Mundo arc, as Ichigo is being told by the Sou-Taichou that Inoue Orihime is a traitor.

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Prologue

In which the Sun and Moon converse

Thunder echoed out fiercely, crashing almost imperiously in the wake of angry flashes of lightning. Wind buffeted the tall buildings of the city, howling downwards, through curiously empty streets and then up again, racing up the sides of the many sky scrapers, whose windows offered no light, no hope of life. Amidst the storm, upon the tallest building, a man stood, watching the dark grey clouds with a blank face, though if one looked closely they could see the start of annoyance twitching upon the very edges of his lips.

"Stupid girl," the man sighed, reaching up to rub the stubble on his chin in annoyed resignation before he spoke again. "She should have tried harder to leave clues so that those fools can at least find her."

Around him lightning and thunder flashed and crashed, as though agreeing with the tall man. His coat, colored dark as a moonless night, fluttered in the harsh winds, dancing along invisible ropes pulling and tugging incessantly, but he made no move to bow to the whims of the wind.

"At least it isn't raining," he muttered. No sooner were those words out of his mouth did the lightning and thunder clash out angrily once again, but this time with more fervor, more fury. "What are they telling you," the man wondered as he stared up to the now black clouds with his apathetic eyes.

Behind him a form shimmered into being. Clothed in shimmering white and red silks of royalty that flowed and pooled like water at her feet, her face painted stark white, with beautiful deep red lines curving over her eyes and forehead, she gazed at the man with kind golden eyes that peered out from a shimmering veil of gold and silver gossamer. Her elegantly done up hair was black as night, but somehow seemed to produce a light of its own, in fact, her entire form seemed to glow.

"Tsukiyomi," she whispered in a voice far too melodious to be human, it was like the most beautiful voices of earth had conjoined into one, yet all spoke individually at the same time, forming an ethereal harmony.

The man turned, a frown now upon his lips. "That's not my name right now, and you know it," he stated, looking at the woman with narrowed eyes. "But the more pressing matter is, what are _you_ doing _here_... Amaterasu no mikoto," the way he said her name, it was not contempt, but niether was it with awe. He drew out the syllables, as though he knew he stood on equal ground as the goddess of the Sun.

Upon her red lips a graceful smile formed. "The time has come, Tsukiyomi," she intoned softly, letting her words echo through the suddenly quiet skies. It was as though by her simply being there provided a calming balm to the world around her but it did nothing to soothe the man, his eyes hardening into a sharp gaze.

The man's eyebrows furrowed into a scowl. "He is too young yet, to place such responsibilities upon his shoulders now…it would be too cruel. To expect so much of someone is too much even for an adult. He is still a child, not even fully grown by human standards, much less in the eyes of the Court of Souls."

The smile remained upon her lips, and if Amaterasu was at all disappointed by the reply of the one she called Tsukiyomi, she did not show it. Instead she smiled her gracious smile, turned away from him and looked up to the grey skies, waving one hand at the surrounding area.

"I know you wish to protect the young Prince, but he cannot continue on without you by his side, Tsukiyomi," as she spoke, the world around them started to dissolve, and the man knew that the woman before him was shaping it to her liking. Gone were the towering, lifeless skyscrapers that relentlessly challenged the clouds, and instead now there were regal trees all around, whose canopy of verdant green offered a shady retreat from the suddenly bright sun.

If it were possible, his frown and scowl would have deepened further as he listened to her words. "I am by his side, always," he challenged vehemently. "My power is his to use as he will, never have I with held anything from him if it could help."

Amaterasu turned her golden eyes to him, her gaze questioning, reprimanding, and condescending all in one low blow. "Are you _really_ with him, Tsukiyomi? Really, honestly, truly? You go by this fake name of yours, you use a power that is not real, you appear in disguise, so tightly wrapped in illusion that not even the soul you are bound to can tell that it is all a lie. The only thing true about you right now Tsukiyomi, is your heart. You know that the words you speak are true, but at the same time, you know that I too, am right. The little prince will soon require more power than either Zangetsu or his darkness can provide. That man, the one called Aizen, he is smart, he knows of the Rule of Three. He _will_ wait until the three of us, Izanagi, Izanami, and myself, must step down, and when you do not step up he _will_ situate himself upon the throne...You must stop this now brother, before the one who would be a God destroys all that we hold dear, the others all agree with me as well...Izanami agrees with me," she whispered in her too melodious voice, placing a delicate hand upon a black clad shoulder.

The man flinched away from her hand, both from the contact as well as the mention of the eldest goddess. Long moments passed before the one called Tsukiyomi offered a reply. "He will never agree to follow the rules of the Gods, much less Royalty," the man stated in a defeated sigh, shoulders sagging fractionally as he realized that his elder sister was right. "Especially not since his heart already belongs to another."

Amaterasu smiled brightly as her brother admitted defeat, and the wind around her picked up just slightly, almost happily. "That will be no problem, Inari has always been in place, just waiting, I imagine that she will reveal herself almost immediately after you do," here the goddess of the sun giggled as the normally apathetic man gazed in surprise at her. "You think so little of us meddling old ones. You would do well to remember that when you were upon the throne you too meddled in the affairs of others."

"Then...She is?" His voice was hopeful, though his face had been schooled back into a blank stare once again.

Nodding her head, Amaterasu offered a peaceful smile. "Be at peace Tsukiyomi, though the young Prince's life has not been easy, it had to be as such. He knew the love of a mother before she was called back to do her duty, and his father is still around to provide guidance when he is lost. When the truth of his blood is made known...yes his responsibilities will seem to increase tenfold, but it is better he learn now, while he is still quick to forgive such duplicity on our parts, than later, when he may feel even more betrayed than he will. But I know for a fact that our Prince will forgive us, once the stress and confusion have died down a tad. His heart is far too kind and pure to hold something like resentment against the one who has always been with him..."

Amaterasu looked up into the sky her golden eyes dimming as she studied the clear blue heavens, seeing something with her divine eyes that was invisible to the rest of the world. It was some time before she spoke again, filling the temporary forest with the sound of her harmonious voice, but this time her tone was sad, mournful even, "He is very young, so much so that it pains us to ask this of you two..."

The way that Amaterasu trailed off made the man realize that he was being selfish, not only for himself, but for his partner. Heaving a sigh he shook his head. "But it must be done, sacrifices must be made for the greater good," he muttered resentfully, lip curling marginally into a nearly unnoticeable sneer, but Amaterasu's sharp golden eyes caught it. "I understand, I may not like it, but I understand…He will know me when the time comes…only when my power is explicitly required, not a moment sooner."

The elder woman gave another of her brilliant smiles that seemed to warm a person to their very core. "That is all we ask," she said with a grateful bow. "I shall tell the others of you decision...I have no doubt that we will see you soon, Tsukiyomi no Mikoto, my dear little brother." With that said she slowly began to fade away.

The man grumbled something incoherent under his breath, but couldn't help a parting shot before the woman had completely disappeared. "I'm still Zangetsu until then," he retorted.

His only response was her beautiful laughter as she disappeared completely. With her went the forest, and once more, the man who was truly Tsukiyomi but preferred to be called Zangetsu found himself atop the tallest skyscraper, and almost as though the sky had been covered with a giant blue fog the true sky was revealed. Slowly the dark grey storm clouds emerged once again. Slowly the thunder and lightning began to clash in rage and anger once more. Slowly the wind began to build up, turning from a gentle breeze into fierce squalls that howled through empty streets.

The man, Zangetsu, was quiet for a time, contemplating the raging skies above him, before he groaned in realization, his partner was _not_ going to like this. "Ichigo's going to kill me."

End of Prologue

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That's the end of the prologue, but I'm working on the next part, so it should be out in a few hours if I work hard, at latest, a few days. Hope y'all enjoyed. Drop me a line in a review if you have something to say to me about it. I'm always eager to hear what my audience has to say.

_--Beat_


	2. In which the Guardian sees the True Moon

_**The Truth of the Moon**_

_**Shintei no Getsuei**_

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Notes on this particular chapter: I hope this is a more acceptable length than the prologue, though I must warn you that roughly half of this chapter is canon before I start to diverge (I felt the need to see chapter 388 to the end). I am rather fond of long chapters to read, so I would hope to return the favor to my own readers. But as all things go when concerning prologues, one must keep them short to keep them sufficiently interesting while still retaining that air of mystery…Oh who am I kiddin' here, I just didn't know what more to say on the conversation between Tsukiyomi no Mikoto and Amaterasu no Mikoto. The two are said to only just barely get on, and I wanted that tension to be felt in the lack of words between the two. With that said I shall stop spouting ridiculous excuses and let you get back to your normally scheduled reading.

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_Chapter 1_

_In which the Guardian sees the True Moon_

Jumping out of that Garganta towards Aizen, Ichigo had felt determination, confidence, and above all, the need to protect that which was his. What was his exactly? He couldn't tell you, but he was damned sure he wasn't about to let that manipulative bastard Aizen take it away from him. He would kill him. He had to. He was the only one that could, according to Unohana-taichou. All it would take was one sword stroke to rid the worlds of that monster. He had to kill him!

Taking that will to protect, he gathered reiatsu and swung, putting all of that determination into this one attack. And Zangetsu unleashed a wave of black energy, powerful and potent. Surely nothing could withstand such an onslaught. For a moment, Ichigo let his hope soar. Was it over? Were his friends and family finally safe? Could he finally drop his guard?

And then… all of his confidence, all of his determination and passionate vindication was gone in a scant few seconds.

Aizen still stood, unharmed, still as disgustingly smug as ever. Worse yet, he had the gall to continue calling him 'ryoka boy'.

'_That egocentric bastard.'_ After what he had done to the ones who had trusted him in Sereitei, he had abso-fucking-lutely _no right_ to be calling Ichigo the ryoka. Then another thought occurred to Ichigo, one far more pressing than the continued use of the term 'ryoka'.

How the _hell_ had he blocked a Getsuga Tenshō at point blank? Dammit, not only was he careless, he had underestimated the asshole's ingenuity. Of course he would protect the most obvious weak spot he had, after all, he trusted no one to watch his back, paranoid bastard that he was. '_I should have done it in hollow form!!'_ He berated himself mentally, until of course Aizen's smug voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Let me guess what you're thinking."

Ichigo froze wondering if this guy was for real, then realized that Aizen was probably playing at some sort of mind game. Probably trying to set him off guard, yeah, that had to be it. _'Tch, yeah right bastard,' _he thought, giving barely half an ear to listen to the conceited man,_ 'like you can read my thou-'_

"-hollowfied you would have been able to kill me in one blow," the man finished smugly, giving an oily smirk at the young substitute Shinigami.

Ichigo's grip on his sword tightened, how the _hell _had he known? The wind blew around him, and his eyes narrowed in calculation. If he wanted him to try, then by the gods, he was going to damn well give it his all.

Bringing a lithe hand up to his face, he concentrated on bring out his hollow side. There, he could feel it. Almost as though his fingers were grabbing an invisible porcelain mask, he pulled downwards, materializing the skeletal visage of his hollow mask. His vision sharpened, the scents in the air suddenly went from the slight tinge of blood and death to a near overwhelming wave, every sound, every movement was picked up. Ichigo didn't really understand the mechanics behind the hollowfication, but this time was just like before, everything seemed…more in focus somehow. It was as though his body was suddenly hyper aware.

"That's it," the wannabe god demanded, "come at me."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo was more than happy to comply with the man just this once. He could feel his own pitch black reiatsu swirling around his arm, racing through his fingers and up through the metal of the blade as he held out Zangetsu, he could pick out the way it sharpened and became dense as he called out the attack's name. It was all or nothing now. If this didn't work...This _had _to work. Unohana-taichou had warned him about going up against this man for prolonged periods of time.

_"The longer you fight against Aizen," The healer had stated gravely in warning, "the more you run the risk of being exposed to his shikai. If that happens, Kurosaki Ichigo, all hope is lost." _

With that thought, Ichigo unleashed the most powerful Getsuga Tenshō he could manage. The wave ripped forward with a howl, heading directly towards Aizen, and it looked like it would be a clear shot. But then it was as though Aizen's reiatsu had just vanished from the area and reappeared behind him.

"What's the matter," came the condescending question. "You didn't reach me." His voice was mocking. As though Ichigo were once again that inexperienced fool charging up to So

'_Impossible,'_ he thought in shock, '_not even Yoruichi moves that fast. I couldn't even feel him move.'_

Ichigo jumped away, just as the man started talking again, thinking furiously to himself, trying desperately to hide the surprise that was undoubtedly showing upon his face. '_Dammit, what the hell, the power difference between us...there's no way this guy's for real.'_

"…Why are you staying away?" The amusement in Aizen's oily voice seemed to smudge up against Ichigo's soul, leaving inky black stains wherever it touched, making him feel so weak, so small. "If you want to hit me you'll have to get closer…or…," here Aizen paused to chuckle just a little, as though contemplating the actions of a scared puppy. "Are you afraid to let any part of me out of your sight?"

Ichigo wanted to scoff, wanted to mock Aizen for being so conceited as to think that he was capable of scaring Ichigo so bad that he had to keep him far away and in front of him. But he knew that even if he did, he'd only be lying. In truth, that little display knocked Ichigo off balance. No one had ever told him just how powerful Aizen was. Sure he knew he had been a captain, but so was Byakuya, so was Mayuri, so was Kenpachi- eh maybe he shouldn't quite count Kenpachi on that list. He had grown so much stronger than the time he had personally faced down Byakuya that time on Sōkyoku Hill, even exponentially more so than when he had fought Kenpachi, and Ichigo was damned sure that if push came to shove, he could knock Ishida flat on his ass, and Ishida had beaten Kurotsuchi Mayuri. However, looking at Aizen now, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder... Just how much had that man had been hiding while he was Captain of the Fifth Division?

His wavering will slowly ebbed away, and with it went his mask. Sooner than he'd have liked, half of his face was visible. But even with just half, Ichigo was certain that his horrified surprise was pretty damned visible.

"That's just silly." There was that smirk again. Ichigo was really starting to hate that smirk, he really wanted to give in to the quiet whispers telling him to rip it off of his face, to sink his teeth into that obnoxiously exposed throat and rip out the trachea that produced such a disgusting voice.

"It only makes sense to keep your distance when you're evenly matched."

His teeth gnashed against one another, jaw setting in a way that he hoped made him look less afraid and more like an angry dog on a leash too short. '_How dare he automatically assume that I'm no match for him',_ Ichigo raged.

"Staying away from me is meaningless," Aizen drawled, lackadaisically gazing at the vizard boy, calculating how much more it would take to break him, Ichigo knew, it was the same look his Hollow gave him when they fought, it was the same look Zangetsu-ossan gave him from time to time when he tested him.

"Look," Ichigo's heart froze in his throat, suddenly Aizen's voice sounded alarmingly close, and there was a sudden warmth of fingers pressed upon his chest, but not a nice warmth, no, this was like the cloying warmth of decay, like something too sweet that hid a poison. Honey eyes refocused and pupils shrunk. _Oh fuck, _were his oh so eloquent thoughts. "I can practically touch your heart," Aizen softly spoke, almost like a caring parent. And for the first time in a long time, Ichigo felt true fear grip his heart with icy hands. With that fear his hollowfication completely left him, receding back into his soul. For the first time in a rather long time, he felt helpless. It was like his first encounter with Byakuya all over again. Even as he swung Zangetsu, he knew it was already too late to do anything. By the time the wickedly sharp edge had approached the air surrounding where that man should have been, he knew it'd meet nothing but empty space. There would be no body to provide resistance...

And he was right. Soon that reiatsu signature had disappeared once more, only to reappear behind him.

"Let me ask you one thing, ryoka boy." The casualness of his tone both frustrated and scared Ichigo, he wasn't even trying, dammit!

"Why are you fighting me?" Ichigo turned slowly, not comprehending that question. _What the fuck? What do you mean why?_ Aizen kept his back towards Ichigo, and though the opportunity to strike was there, he didn't take it, knowing it'd be another useless waste of energy.

"Do you hate me for some reason?" There was a short pause, as though he was letting Ichigo digest that question, letting him mull it over. '_Do I hate him?' _"...You shouldn't," Aizen answered for him, still keeping his back towards Ichigo. Without waiting for a reply, the manipulative man continued. "If you are here, then Inoue Orihime must be safe."

Briefly Ichigo allowed himself to think of Inoue, she had looked fine, if a bit traumatized, apparently she had seen Ichigo die. Not that _that_ particular activity was unfamiliar to him. Yes, she was safe, for now, and in good hands, Ichigo trusted Ishida with his life, he knew that his quincy friend would, in his words, 'endeavor to care for Orihime as well as he could'. Of course, Ishida had then promptly gone off about how the outfit she was wearing, while tastefully done, was just not cut right and so on and so forth.

But then Aizen continued on, "And just from looking at you, I can tell none of your friends have died." The way he spoke, it was as though there was an underlying threat, yet at the same time, was soft and gentle enough to fool weaker hearts into thinking that the man really cared whether or not his friends had died. That brought Ichigo to wonder just how this man knew, was he really that transparent that his relief at the ensured life of his friends was that visible? Was it really okay with him, their continued existence meant that his own arrancar forces had taken a major blow. Ichigo knew of at least four positive deaths in the ranks, though he regret only one, the death of Ulquiorra Schiefer, and that was only because he had had no control over himself when the most damaging part of the fight had happened.

"So...can you really hate me?"

The question snapped Ichigo out of his reverie, and he gazed in surprise at Aizen, the man, what was he getting at. Hatred for a person didn't matter. It was the fact that this man was willing to kill hundreds of thousands of people for his own gain.

"It's impossible." That look again, that look that told him he was below Aizen in every way possible. That he was not worth the time and effort to fight. Once more his grip upon his sword tightened until his knuckles were stark white. "You are fighting out of obligation, not out of hatred. You will never reach me like that."

There was a short pause, as though he was gathering his thoughts, but Ichigo knew that Aizen had already known all that he was going to say to him even before he had started speaking. No, that pause was put there strategically, to let Ichigo's doubt eat away at his resolve. In truth, and to his shame, it was working.

"Battle without hatred is like a bird without wings. You'll never defeat anyone like that. Your powerless friends…" Here another pause, Ichigo knew, allowing him to think of his friends, but unfortunately for Aizen, Ichigo believed in his friends, he knew that they were far from powerless. "are just weights that will break your legs."

'_Bullshit! That's bullshit and you know it,'_ Ichigo wanted to yell, but held his tongue. That fear was still there, and too, there was a poisonous doubt that lingered. Were his friends really holding him back? Could he really gain more power without them? '_Gods damn me to the deepest pits of hell, I should never doubt them, they are what give me strength, them and my family, I should kill him now before he tries to manipulate my feelings any further than he already has,'_ he thought desperately, even as the doubt ate away at his soul. His inner conflict shone clearly on his face, and he made a motion forward, as though to strike the bastard down, that is until a strong hand gripped his own then there was only surprise.

"Don't let him get to you, Kurosaki Ichigo," a gruff rumbling voice demanded in a way that was firm but still reassuring and warm.

"K..Komamura-san," Ichigo choked out, suddenly glad that someone had stopped him from acting in an extremely foolish manner.

"Provocation is his specialty...Lose yourself, and you'll lose your life." The soft growl somehow reassured Ichigo, and he realized why he was glad that he had been stopped. Somehow, something in him knew that. There was a short pause before Komamura's golden eyes met Ichigo's darker honey, "Rest easy," Komamura growled softly again, and all around him, Ichigo could feel the familiar reiatsu of friends, of acquaintances, slowly at first. "I know why the Captains sent you down here straight from Hueco Mundo," the large canine-esque man continued on, and suddenly Ichigo felt surrounded on all sides by people who cared, and safe, well as safe as one can be on a battle field. "You haven't seen Aizen's shikai."

Before him, people suddenly materialized. There was Shinji, that annoying leader of the Vizard, Toushiro, the icy child prodigy Captain of the Tenth Division, Lisa, the annoying Vizard with a penchant to shove ero-manga into his face but despite that was an amazing swords…woman, Love Aikawa, the laid-back Vizard who was easy to get along with, Soifon, the Captain of Second division whom Ichigo didn't quite know, but respected, and Maeda, her portly lieutenant who had a superiority complex the size of Tokyo that had no basis, Kyōraku-ossan, the laid back captain of the eighth division who was a lot more powerful than his oafish appearance let on, Rose (or Rojuro) the music loving Vizard who seemed perpetually disinterested in the goings on of the world around him, but really cared for his comrades.

"We…Will fight to protect you."

That statement sent Ichigo reeling, it was usually him doing the fighting to protect, that was just his duty, not just as first born son, not just as a Substitute Shinigami, not just as Vizard, but as something more. Something in him had always known that he was meant to be the protector, to be the sword you relied upon to strike down that which would harm the innocent, to be the shield that took the hits while keeping the true horrors of the world at bay.

Why would they protect him? Two among this group didn't even know him further than his name, and two just in passing. Was it just because he hadn't been exposed to Aizen's shikai? Or could they actually have some modicum of confidence in his abilities and believed in his capability to somehow persevere and win? Something in him told him it was a reason vastly different from that, but he couldn't quite grasp just what.

"_**See them Ichigo, see them and know, this is what you fight for. This is what WE fight for,"**_ a voice urged in his soul. Immediately he knew that voice, _'Zangetsu-ossan? You've been quiet lately, and of all times now you want to spring another riddle on me? I don't have time for that right now, if you can tell.'_

Ichigo didn't mean to sound so snappish with his zanpakutō, but with the way his day had been going so far? He was sure he was allowed to be more than just a little on the snarky side, even to the spirit of the sword that was technically part of himself, well, his part of his soul that is.

"_**And I will explain my lack of input later, for now, focus on your friends, your allies, see how they now stand before you, ready to fight for you at the faintest hint of danger? It is for this loyalty and love that we fight. You know this. We've been over this before, denka..."**_

Ichigo could feel the slight disappointment tingeing Zangetsu's voice in his head, he was right, as a self proclaimed guardian, Ichigo should have always remembered Zangetsu-ossan's first lesson. Furthermore, when the flying fuck did ossan start calling him 'denka'?!

"_**Everything will be explained, denka, I promise, but first, we have a war to win. And as the humans of your time say now, wars are won with blood. This man, this Aizen, he owes us at least that much. But for now…"**_

When Zangetsu's comforting presence seemed to just disappear from his mind, Ichigo (as well as his Hollow) suffered a slight panic attack. In all his time as a Shinigami, even just as a barely passable substitute standing in for Rukia nearly a year and a half ago, he had **always** felt (even if he hadn't known it at the time) that ever present feeling of being supported by the spirit of his sword. It was like someone had come along and shorn a great hole in his soul, one so big that nothing could replace it. It was painful and numbing all in the same breath.

The poor boy was so startled by the sudden loss that he yelped out loud, drawing attention to himself, though when questioned many of those present (yes, including the currently bifurcated Hiyori) would later admit that it had been more out of surprise than worry as very few things in this universe could make Kurosaki Ichigo yelp like a badly startled puppy (among them being Rukia's unpredictable punches and Unohana's glare). His long black and red shihakusho that was a part of his Bankai slowly changed back into the standard shinigami shihakusho. In his hands, Tensa Zangetsu morphed from the black bladed daito, into a rather standard looking nōdachi. It wasn't exorbidantly long, but…Ichigo somehow knew that it wasn't Zangetsu.

'_Zangetsu-ossan this isn't funny, dammit we're in the middle of a battle! What the fuck is this supposed to teach me? Okay I'll admit, I need more work on my zanjutsu but is this really a good time to point that out?!' _Ichigo thought desperately, hoping that somehow the old man would hear him, even though the young substitute couldn't feel him. Even his hollow seemed to panic, screaming in anger to Ichigo, repeatedly cursing his 'stupid King' for chasing away their partner.

For one long and agonizing minute there was nothing, and then, a whisper, like a soft wind in the night sky, or a lone cloud before a full moon. _**"It is time you, and they, witness our true power...Call to me Denka. Call me by the name I have hidden from you," **_and though it was soft and nearly unheard, Ichigo knew that voice. It was that same rough, quiet, yet familiar and (at least to him) comforting voice that could only be Zangetsu-ossan's.

By now, Ichigo held the attention of every soul as he raised the nōdachi into the air, holding it comfortably aloft with his left hand, and took a calming breath in to soothe his far too frayed nerves and to gather reiatsu. _'Fine old man, if you want to show off, then I'll show off,'_ he thought, his confidence bolstered once more by the presence of those around him and the words of his sword. Soon the pale blue of his own reiatsu was swirling about him, circling him many times in an upward spiral before swooping along the length of his arm and gathering at the tip of the nōdachi.

But when he called out his partner's name, what left his lips was different, far different, from what he remembered.

"Unjou no Saekagayake, bōheki no gensō ni ite, naraga motte chii no waga hantaisha yochi ni mayatsubamono mōkeru tsukatte, Tsukiyomi no Mikoto!"

It was as though his mouth was on autopilot. The words that tumbled out were so…unfamiliar and yet very close to his heart. That was all, however, he had time to contemplate. Only a split second after the words had left his mouth, than a veritable explosion of reiatsu burst from not just the sword, but himself. The light was so bright, even for poor Ichigo, who by this point was so confused about this entire thing, that all those watching, including Aizen, had to either turn away or shield their eyes, even Love, who had shades on at the time.

By the time the light had faded, and everyone's eyes readjusted, they noticed two things. One, Ichigo was no longer holding Zangetsu, but rather a deep blue and silver nōdachi. The actual metal of the blade was a deep hue of blue, so dark it almost looked black, but with the light hitting at just the right angle, one could tell that it was indeed blue. Along the flat of the blade silver clouds seemed to dance and flow up until the very tip of the blade, catching the light in such a way one could not tell if they were really part of the sword or if they floated somehow above the metal unless they touched the surface (upon which they would find that it was indeed just marginally indented). The tsuba was a simple four pronged manji, nearly identical to the one found on Tensa Zangetsu, only this time, it wasn't black tinged with red, in fact, one couldn't quite really tell exactly _what_ color it was. Turned one way, it was purple, another way and it was blue, yet another red and orange. The hilt was wrapped in a black material that shone like silk, but looked textured like sharkskin, and at the end a silver cap with a single crescent moon inlaid again with the 'not-sure-what-color-it-was' metal sported a long tassel that apparently couldn't decide between baby blue or silver as it's color, swung gracefully in the wind.

But the second change that everyone noticed, was quite possibly the most alarming. It was Ichigo. And though physically he seemed unchanged, his garb was different, and his eyes shone with something that no one could place at the moment. Once again, he donned the long, almost robe-like shihakusho of black and red, but this time its appearance was far less tattered and the edges were trimmed with silver. There were no loud designs upon it, nor any other features aside from the trimming, but it somehow gave off a regal feeling. His orange hair, still as messy as ever, seemed to be the perfect resting spot for a silver colored crown (it was NOT a tiara dammit) with three points, the middle of which was the largest. It was perched askew, like it had been done on purpose, but looked as though it would stay put no matter what happened to its current owner.

Ichigo finally opened his eyes, '_Is THIS what ossan was talking about? This power...it's on the same level as my Bankai, and I'm pretty damned positive this is just Shikai... THIS was Zan- no...Tsukiyomi, the true form of Zangetsu, the true name...Yeah, I understand now, I may not be happy, and dammit we WILL have words about this Ossan! But I think I understand at least a little._

Zang- Tsukiyomi, _(damn it's going to be hard to get used to that!)_ chuckled, his deep rumbling laugh that Ichigo rarely heard. _**"Yes, this is OUR true self, Denka. Look at us, look at me, look at you...I had wished to protect you from the world by hiding my true name from you, from us, but it seemed the world needed you more than I had hoped. This is our power now, Denka. Use it to fight for your friends...Remember…Forget your fear..walk forward. Don't stop…"**_

Ichigo smiled, remembering the first time he had heard Ossan's name, and spoke the rest out loud. "Turning back will make you weak. Fears will cause you death."

"_**Say my name…"**_

"Tsukiyomi, the God of the Moon, I see the true Moon now," he intoned, taking the hilt in his right hand and swung the blade with finality to his side, holding it in a loose, yet ready grip.

* * *

**Notes:** I'm still taking lessons for my grammar, XP if anyone finds something INCREDIBLY wrong with Tsukiyomi's release command, go ahead and slap me upside the head and point out my mistake, I'll correct it asap, also, I'm only typing out the ENTIRE release command this once (maybe one more time again far…FAR in the future), because Ichigo just is the type that can't have a sealed Zanpakutō.

(Release command Translation: Shine clearly above the clouds, casting a protective wall of illusion, while using the blood of our enemies to create an illusory world, High God Tsukiyomi!)

Much love peeps, remember to drop me a line if you have questions or any other shit like that..

_---Beat_


	3. In which the Guardian Learns

The Truth of the Moon

Shintei no Getsuei

* * *

Notes: I think I've written this bloody pre-chapter note five times now. Each bloody time it gets longer as I attempt to address issues brought up by my reviewers. Fear not my dearest audience, Beat has not fallen off the horse. I have simply become so trapped within my Uni work and my being sick, that any leisure time is spent trying to unravel tightly wound nerves. Anyways, ignoring my pathetic excuse, I realize that the last two installments of TTotM have been lacking a critical element. I did not include a dictionary with terms that I will be using through the series. I am deeply and profoundly sorry for that, and shall hasten to right this travesty against you, my beloved audience. To solve this, I have put in a dictionary containing any terms used thus far, and shall be altering the prologue so that it carries a dictionary as well (at a later date). The first chapter shall be periodically edited so as to keep up to date with any terms found here. Sorry for that, apparently 4 am is a bad time to put up a story if you want to be sure of everything. *Beat Fails*

Ah! I'd also like to state/reinforce the fact that this story diverged from Canon around the midpoint of the first 'chapter' (second chapter to be put out in other words), so please do not expect Yamamoto to make a grand appearance (that old fool will be a little busy explaining his actions, or rather, lack thereof, concerning three certain traitorous captains and the very obvious corruption in Central 46), also Aizen-teme will not have the hyogoku in his chest. I have other plans for that deviant little ball. Other plans involving Ichigo and hilarity inspired by "The Bleach Omake Files" by Innortal. It's a really funny read, and I would recommend that you read it if you're into funny snippets. :D *Blatant Beat advertisement for Beat's favorite authors here*

Further, I'd like to state that I am supremely grateful to those of you who said more than 'good job'. Stuff like that is nice, but to have left such an impression (be it good or bad) that you took the time to write more than a few token words makes me feel accomplished as a writer. I'd also like to take the time to say I'm sorry for the long wait. I know how horrible it is to wait for a fic to update, but since I am lazy, and I have already stated this, it's something you'll all just have to deal with until break time, when I have more time to write without killing myself with work. With that said and out of the way, let's get on with the show!

Also just in case some of you are slow on the uptake:

**'Thoughts of a Zanpakutō or Ichigo's Hollow.'**

_'Human mind workin' here! That is to say, normal people thoughts.'_

**"Speech of a Hollow/Vizard with their mask on."**

"Normal, everyday, spoken word."

* * *

Chapter 2

In which the Moon Trains

* * *

Ichigo stared in wonder at Za- Tsukiyomi, turning the blade this way and that as he watched the clouds shift on the blade. A soft black mist seemed to roll off the polished silvery surface, and Ichigo instinctively knew that the mist was only visible to him. Taking an experimental swing, he was pleasantly surprised to see the mist trail behind the blade and linger far longer than any normal mist should have, though he still knew nothing of what the mist did.

As Ichigo wondered about his sword's knew capabilities, Aizen narrowed his eyes at the ryoka boy, he knew of course of the fabled blades of the Royal family. Blades containing the powers of the Gods. They were part of the whole reason he had manipulated, murdered, deceived, and lied his way to the top. Any such blade was worthy of being the spoils of war for a true God. He had been hoping to steal the current King's zanpakutō shortly before killing him and proclaiming himself God. But to see now that this ryoka, this... boy, had the one blade he had been hoping to possess, it was like the ultimate insult.

"Boy," Aizen drawled out, his oily smooth voice deceivingly calm, belying the impotent rage smoldering in his gut. "I have decided that you must die, and I shall use your own zanpakutō to do the deed," he said, suddenly appearing before Ichigo, hand reaching for Tsukiyomi's hilt.

**'Like hell he will, GIVE HIM HELL KING,'** the hollow in his soul cheered insanely, which was, truthfully, a little disturbing for Ichigo. Zange- Tsukiyomi's response was along the same lines, only more dignified.

**'That fool shall not touch us, quickly now, step away, your body will do what comes naturally.'**

Ichigo frowned at his partner's words but stepped away none the less, shocked when he found himself much further away than anticipated. However, he was not alone in his surprise, all the others who watched on, even Soi-Fong, one of the Sereitei's premier masters at shunpo, were astounded by the sheer amount of distance the young Substitute Shinigami had managed to cover in a single step.

"Over several hundred yards in a single step," whispered Komamura-taichou in disbelief. "What sort of prodigy has been hidden within this Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Maa, maa, forget prodigious skills, I'm just glad he's on our side," sighed the ever lackadaisical Kyōraku. The sudden leap in Kurosaki's skills were alarming yes, but if there was one thing Shunsui could count on, it was the boy's unyielding loyalty to those he loved and called friends.

"What the hell," Ichigo wondered out loud, looking at Tsukiyomi now with sudden confusion. Tsukiyomi's familiar deep chuckle resonated within his head and Ichigo found himself scowling at his sword. "Oi, ossan, what the fuck was that shit! I can't even do that in Bankai!"

Once more his zanpakutō laughed,** 'That, denka, was our- no, your true power showing itself. Take care to gauge yourself first, get a feel for what you are capable of. Then when you are sure of yourself, of us, engage our enemy.'**

Aizen came at him again, this time charging, obviously to intimidate the boy, but if his attempts were having any effect on Ichigo, he was doing very well at hiding his reactions. Ichigo dodged once again, leaping to the side, this time mindful of just where he may end up. So when he found himself perched atop one of the taller buildings in Karakura town, Ichigo didn't look too surprised, just, rather disgruntled. Aizen frowned at the distance that the ryoka boy had put between the two of them once more and wondered to himself just how this child's power, which had been negligent when compared besides his own not even ten minutes prior, was now seemingly superior. But the boy didn't seem to know how to use said power, for even as he lashed out, Aizen could see confusion in the boy's eyes when his sword sliced cleanly through an entire building upon missing its intended target. With every step, the child came that much closer to understanding what he had. With every swing of his sword (and thereby complete and utter miss) Aizen saw a larger light of comprehension. He couldn't allow this to continue.

"C'mon, stop fooling around! The Kurosaki I know would have kicked that bastard's ass by now," yelled an enraged Madarame Ikkaku, and the schemer found himself agreeing with the brash 11th division fool. Yes, this needs to end soon. Before the ryoka boy can come into his powers fully, with those thoughts, Aizen narrowed his eyes and once more charged intent on intimidating the boy into a fatal mistake.

**'Stand your ground, denka, show them what we can do.'** Nodding, Ichigo grasped Tsukiyomi's hilt in determination. He could do this. He had to do this. **'Breathe in, find your center, grasp that power with your convictions, and swing the blade of your soul with the intent to kill!'**

Aizen had expected the boy to pull away, but Ichigo did not act as he had anticipated, instead the young Substitute Shinigami brought his blade up to block Aizen's strike, effectively slapping the attack away with adept skill. "You continue to be as surprising as ever, ryoka boy, but despite your best efforts, it is still not enough," that man who would be god taunted, once more simply appearing before Ichigo. The manipulative bastard was underestimating Ichigo, thinking that he'd be able to best him using the barest of efforts once again. It was an act that Aizen would very soon come to regret.

As soon as the greasy haired traitor had come within striking distance Ichigo lashed out, swinging Tsukiyomi in a graceful arc. The blade left behind silver afterimages shrouded by a thick silver mist, and though Aizen managed to narrowly avoid the cutting bite of Tsukiyomi, he ended up being surrounded on all sides by the mist. Not fully aware of his situation, the mist entered his lungs when he took a small surprised breath in. A faint scent, familiar in its sweet and floral bouquet, drifted in the slight breeze around him and made his entire body feel lethargic, as though fighting off a great weariness. The silver mist obscured his vision and every flash of silver had him on edge. Some moved so fast that Aizen thought it was another blade, and so would move to dodge, only to find nothing there, others looked as though they were being dragged through the thickest sludge, their movement so sluggish that it seemed as though time had begun to slow to a crawl.

"Leave," commanded a dissonant voice from within the mist. It held a female tone, but a masculine ring. For a few seconds Aizen had almost no control of his motor functions, almost as though he were a puppet on strings he felt his body move to leave, just as the voice had commanded him. But he was not of a weak will, and soon, far too soon for Tsukiyomi and Ichigo to feel happy about their accomplishment, he had regained control of his functions.

"Damn, I don't even know what that was, but it was hard to control," Ichigo muttered between pants. It wasn't that he was tired, but more like his body had more energy than it knew what to do with, and just to exert any form of control on just a small fraction was like trying to lift a mountain made entirely of lead. Of course he was unused to this new power; of course he couldn't precisely control it, it was all so new, there was so much to try and hold in; almost too much.

Do not try to force it, simply guide it and let it do what it wants once you have it where you need.

_'Easier said than done ōssan,_'Ichigo groused mentally at his changed zanpakutō as he dodged a swipe from Aizen.

**Concentrate denka. Your friends are counting on you to pull this off.**

Ichigo frowned as he dodged another swipe, still trying to grasp that elusive power that rest deep within his soul. Every time he thought he had a hold of it, it would slip away when his concentration was broken by Aizen's constant attacks. He'd split his attentions, half of it dedicated to dodging Aizen while the other half explored his inner world, chasing down an elusive mist. It was Ichigo's lack of attention that almost cost him dearly, as a sharp metallic clang jarred him out of trying to reach that power. His eyes refocused on the real world and found two swords before his face, one holding the other at bay.

"Well, it looks like we won't be so useless for this fight after all," a cheerfully relaxed voice stated.

Honey colored eyes wandered over the sword and saw that familiar pink floral design that only one person he knew would ever wear. The captain of the 8th division squad smiled at Ichigo, "When I told you to loosen up two years ago, I never thought you'd start taking my advice during battle!" the older man laughed.

"Kyōraku-ossan, thanks," Ichigo muttered in honest gratitude as he realized that at the angle Aizen's blade had been, had that strike been unhindered his head would have come right off.

"Maa maa, kid you keep forgetting that you and that sword o' yours aren't alone in this fight," Kyōraku said as Aizen jumped away, sneering derisively at the two of them.

"Really, am I such a threat that two captain level shinigami must band together? I should feel flattered by your concern I suppose."

"Make that three Aizen!" the angered shout from above caused the manipulative man to look up and just barely manage to dodge the downward slash as shards of ice trailed behind the gleaming silver of a blade. Tōshirō snarled at the miss, swinging out horizontally as wings of ice caught him in his fall.

"My, my, my. Hitsugaya-taichō as well? I seem to be rather popular here."

"You'll pay for what you've done Aizen," the young captain snarled, icy tail lashing out in anger.

"Ahh, so troublesome, I guess Tōshirō-kun and I will take the reins for a short time to allow you a break, eh Kurosaki-kun?" though Kyōraku's laugh was lackadaisical, a serious gleam shone in his eyes that promised a fight like no other, "After all, I have to repay him for allowing one of his underlings to hurt Jyushirō so badly."

Ichigo nodded in dumbfounded assent, and watched as the two Captains fought with teamwork that seemed to spring from nothing. For a short while, Ichigo wondered if perhaps all captains worked together for a short while so as to foster and encourage this teamwork, but he realized that outside of paperwork and training one's own squads as well as running their respective squads and attending meetings with the other twelve captains to stay aware of what they were doing there would be little time to do such things.

Hitsugaya snarled at Aizen as he dodged Hyōrinmaru yet again. "Keep still bastard!"The yell was accompanied by a diagonal slash, combined with a significant blast of spiritual energy just behind the tip of the sword, then the white haired captain's wings beat against the air, rocketing him high above Aizen, even as the man moved to dodge the slash and its accompaniment.

"Running away already Tōshirō-kun? Perhaps our first encounter traumatized you more than I had initially thought."

Aizen's thoughts were cut off by a chuckle, "Nah, he was just getting outta range for my next few kido. Hado number 63 Raikōhō!" A soft crackle of energy could be seen from the tips of Kyōraku's pointer and middle finger, and then, without warning, a massive burst of plasma and lightning burst forth like water from a broken dam.

The energy ripped forward through the air in a straight and predictable line, so Aizen was fully capable of dodging, however, there was another, quiet voice, that of a man he had once called captain, directly behind him. "Did you forget about me, Sōsuke-chan? Hado number 73 Sōren Sōkatsui." Twin bursts of white blue energy roared forth from a single origin point. They wove through the air with deadly speed following Aizen, herding him until his back was against the sustained stream of plasma that originated from Kyōraku.

Cursing his luck, Aizen dodged to the side, and for his efforts was rewarded a very painful burn. However the captains were not done with him just yet, and from above Tōshirō's voice could be heard incanting one of the more powerful Hadō. When the incantation was done, none could doubt the vicious quality to the young captain's voice as he called out the spell's name. "Hadō number 88, Hiryugekizokushitenraihō!"

Blue electricity raced down to his position, and suddenly the manipulative captain found himself surrounded on all sides by powerful Kidō blasts, with a third bearing down upon his head. Of course, Aizen hadn't taken control of all of Hueco Mundo without being capable of dodging in situations where it seemed impossible. (The man was slipperier than a hagfish) "Tch, and I thought the Gōtei 13 were incapable of working with the Vizard. To think that I had been counting on you all foolishly ignoring the other party in favor of myself," he sneered as he nonchalantly brushed the ashes of some of his hair from his shoulder.

"Even the Shinigami are capable of putting their pride aside to work with lesser beings," Shinji called, that insufferable smirk of his still there, and still as aggravating as ever.

Scoffing once again Aizen brought his blade up to bear. "Lesser beings should learn to stay where they belong," he muttered oily. It was only through instinct that Shinji brought up his sword in time to save his body from being diagonally sliced into two. "Oh, you seem to have grown some since you were my commander."

Shinji smiled in his annoying way. "Ah little Sōsuke-chan, always assuming things. Perhaps you've just stagnated."

The traitor frowned, the thought of him ever stagnating was preposterous.

Of course, all of this by play between the two gave the other two crucial players time to gather their strength and form a plan of attack.

"Right then Tōshiro-kun, when Hirako-san gives the signal, we'll carry out the plan," Kyōraku

The youngest captain nodded with a scowl on his face as he stared at the spot where the former captain and current leader of the Vizard stood off against the traitorous Captain of the 5th division. Shinji gave an imperceptible nod at the other two, and they vanished silently. The strategy was simple really. Ambush the man multiple times from multiple angles to buy enough time for Kurosaki to gain his wits about him and get the hell out of dodge before Aizen could activate that wretched shikai of his.

The first to act out was Hitsugaya, who appeared from thin air and struck out with a blurred strike to Aizen's torso. The man moved to retaliate, only to find himself dodging a high strike to his head from the left. All it took was a split second and suddenly Aizen found himself alone. But he barely had time to consider looking for the wayward Kurosaki before he had to bring his blade to deflect a furious slash from the youngest captain once again. And once again, before Aizen could retaliate, the boy had shunpo'd away.

Before he could make to go find his attacker, a graceful sweep to his legs had to be dodged. He barely saw an aggravating smirk accompanied by blonde hair before it was gone again.

"Well now," Aizen said, his condescending smile and tone on in full blast, "this is rather unfair isn't it? Three captains to fight against one traitor are rather uncalled for. Is Seireitei really that afraid of my abilities?"

However, before he could speak further, he was interrupted by another slash, this time from the suddenly serious Kyōraku. "You should watch what you say," the man said with a lazy smile, but something there was something alarming to the man who would be God that shone in the Eighth Division's Captain's eyes.

All while this was happening Ichigo had shunpo'd away, taking five steps as large as his first shunpo step when he had used Tsukiyomi's shikai. "Okay Ōssan, time to start explaining how things work," he muttered to his sword and closed his eyes, concentrating on reaching his inner world. There was a disconcerting feeling of falling for half a second before he felt his feet land with the resonating hum one gets when they strike a large panel of glass. Opening his eyes, he saw a world vastly different from the last time he had visited. Shock briefly flashed through honey colored eyes for a split second before they returned to their normal scowling expression. The skyscrapers were all still there. All of them still sought to reach the sky with their unnaturally long fingers; however the oppressive air they once held was gone somehow. Perhaps it was because there were lights on in the buildings, signs of life in a formerly lifeless place, or perhaps it was because the sun no longer seemed to shine down upon a desert of glass and steel. The sky was now darkened to a deep indigo that was nearly black, to reflect a night time skyline, a phenomena that Ichigo thought he'd never witness within his soul. Before, it had always been daytime, even when the storms picked up. High above, impossibly large and bright, was the full moon, lending its silvery rays of light to the world below. The streets below were obscured by a thick bank of roiling silver clouds that hung around, what Ichigo thought was the halfway point down the buildings. And though he couldn't see them, Ichigo could hear the sounds of life, humans speaking, cars running, children laughing.

Slowly, the scowl on his face softened as he gazed unseeingly into the clouds below. It was so different from the emptiness of before. Now, it was as though he were protecting all those below from above.

**"You are, denka, just by being alive."** The quiet, deep voice with a sandpapery quality that was suddenly by his side had him jumping in alarm. The startled shinigami had gone so far as to jump to the next skyscraper.

"Oi! Ōssan! What the hell! Are you TRYING to send me into cardiac arrest?" And though he complained, Ichigo was glad to see his partner. For the first time since he'd called out Tsukiyomi's true name, he finally saw the true form of his sword's soul. He was still just as tall, just as lithe, just as powerful in appearance as before. Only now his power was a regal one that engulfed and surrounded protectively, no longer one that was harsh around the edges and tempered by time. His hair was still black, but now it fell down a straight back in slight waves, done up at the top as an elegant topknot held up by silver ornaments and gleaming sticks of platinum. Where Zangetsu wore orange shades over wine colored eyes and rough stubble around mouth and chin, Tsukiyomi had a clear visor over eyes of mercuric silver and a clean shaven face, devoid of facial hair. Before, he had worn a rugged black and red coat that had been tattered and travel worn. Now, an outer robe of black and silver pooled at his feet, rippled with every move, and fell well past his hands, showing no signs of fraying or age. His numerous inner robes were all lighter shades of blue that helped to contrast nicely with the dark outer robe, but also shimmered with every breath, every move the God took and made. Unlike his elder sister, Tsukiyomi did not bear the red marks of the sun, with their harsh and bold red lines emulating the very nature of the sun itself, but instead the faint silver lines of the moon, so subtle that one never knew they were there until they caught the flowing designs of silver that would occasionally shine like the heavenly body they were so named for.

Looking upon his sword's soul now, Ichigo just barely saw the resemblance, but the feel of the reiatsu produced by Tsukiyomi was unmistakable. However before he could say anything a veritable cloud of oppressive reiatsu floated around him.

**"Heeheeheehee,"** an insane giggle came from behind him, but this time, Ichigo was expecting it, mostly due to the unholy amount of reiatsu his crazy hollow was putting out. **"Well, well, well. It looks like the King has finally come to visit his loyal steed and trusted advisor,"** the hollow cackled in his deranged fashion. **"But you're here to play with the moon, and not your horse. You should really come play with me more King,"** one could even go so far as to say that his monster was pouting of all things. Ichigo found himself at a loss for words as his hollow started walking away, giving a lazy wave over his shoulder.

**"He's taking this rather hard,"** Tsukiyomi said from besides him once again. And once again, Ichigo found himself jumping, only this time it was just a few feet from the side of the skyscraper. The god only raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow in Ichigo's direction, silver eyes glancing at his partner in amusement. **"But we shall have to deal with our 'monster' problems later. At this moment we must face the fact that though you have power in spades, there is little to no control,**" here he was interrupted by a slightly bitter mumble from Ichigo, who saw fit to complain about his control, or rather lack of it, "Yeah yeah, what's new."

Tsukiyomi chuckled at his partner softly. **"We shall learn to control this power at its fullest eventually denka, I promise you that, but for now, we shall have to settle with simply learning how to wield this power as best we can."**

Ichigo nodded, they didn't have time to argue. Their friends were counting on them. With that thought, and the mental question of when 'he' became 'they', Ichigo threw himself into learning, as best he could, in what time he could, how to properly wield his sword…again.

This was going to get really annoying, really fast.

Outside of his mind, the battle between the four men still went on, and though Aizen had caught on to their scheme early in the game, one still had to remember that these were three captain level shinigami working in tandem to bring one common enemy down. It wasn't to say that the man didn't stand a chance, because he most certainly did, however, he wasn't being allowed the time to release his sword, and was quickly growing tired of this game of cat trying to fight off three annoying mice, albeit these mice had very sharp swords, and well honed skills to back it up.

When he had finally managed to land a debilitating blow to the back of Hirako Shinji's head, Aizen was by then more than just slightly annoyed with their games and was ready to end it. "And then there were two," Aizen drawled lazily, watching Shinji's body fall to a rooftop not far below. "My my, he's lucky to have only fallen a short distance, and further and he may have suffered injuries too great for even a Vizard to live through."

With only two people on his side, Tōshiro knew it could only be a matter of time before both Kyōraku-taichō and himself were taken out as well, and the young captain could only hope that Kurosaki Ichigo would make his reappearance soon. Against Aizen, no one captain, save for Yamamoto-Sōtaichō, could possibly hope to stand on even ground due to the nature of Aizen's sword, as well as the man's antagonizing capability to manipulate his opponent's emotions on the field.

Kyōraku appeared beside the worrying Tōshiro, "Without Hirako-san, not only are we down one man, our attacks become less random. We need to come up with something to buy our hero more time," the man said with a slightly forced smile, his voice unusually solemn. "Maa, Kurosaki-kun needs to hurry up or there won't be anything left to protect."

Teal eyes narrowed at the thought of Aizen succeeding before he snarled in a resolute tone, "We must stop him, even if it means dying." Young, though he may be, Tōshiro was prepared to give his life to protect this world and the next.

**"Again,"** the sharp barking order of Tsukiyomi echoed through the city, above even the howling winds. Ichigo growled and fell back into a ready stance, blade held firmly before him. That command had quickly become the bane of his existence. How many innumerous times had it been barked at him? How many agonizing repetitions had he performed? How many depressing failures had he suffered?

With a loud snarl Ichigo concentrated and quickly gathered the power he needed before pushing it into the blade, growling with the effort of keeping it there. "God dammit, stay," Ichigo huffed with effort. Silence reigned for a few seconds before his eyes flashed silver and he roared out the name of the technique, "Kaikinisshōku!" There was a millisecond of delay before he swung the blade; a trailing mist of glowing black followed the blade's path through the air, curling around itself in an almost alive nature. Slowly the mist spread through the area, never loosing its thick opaque nature.

**"Hold it steady, it needs to be stable before you form it,"** came the firm command from his Zanpakutō spirit.

"It's not as easy as it looks," Ichigo snarled out, sweat beading upon his brow as he desperately tried to keep control of the black mist. The roiling mist soon stopped moving and seemed to wait almost expectantly for the next command. "Kagebōshi." Slowly the mist coalesced into the very familiar silhouette of Ichigo, though a little foggy around the edges, forgive the pun, it was easy to tell that it was solid, as the gravel crunched beneath its cloudy feet. Tsukiyomi quirked one eyebrow as Ichigo slowly manipulated his blade into different stances, and the silhouette followed and mimicked it's summoner in a lazy, but clearly deadly fashion.

**"Very good Denka, but you must remember that you will be fighting as you control this technique, and your enemies will probably not allow you the time to release and form the mist, nor will they stand idly by as you attack. Be ready,"** the God intoned imperiously before going on the offensive, attacking the Mist instead of Ichigo. Each hit that landed stole away at little of the black coloration, and slowly the mist was turning silver once again. With more and more of the color fading, Tsukiyomi's hits began to phase through the now grey form.

"Dammit, stay black, stay black, stay black," Ichigo chanted, willing the color to come back to the almost silvery and nearly non-tangible figure. The silver slowly darkened back to black, and the figure seemed to possess Ichigo's determination.

**"Very good Denka, now come at me, work in tandem with your technique, you must learn to work with it if you are to truly master it,"** Tsukiyomi complimented before settling into a ready stance. Ichigo nodded, rolling his shoulders to chase away some of the aches before settling into the same stance as Tsukiyomi, his silhouette doing the same. There was a long second of silence before all three exploded into action. Tsukiyomi came at the two of them, with the intentions to test Ichigo's concentration, keeping one's mind on two bodies was not an easy feat, and for the boy to have done so in such little time was astounding to say the least. But just a casual mastery was not enough in this case, they had to go up against Aizen shortly, and Ichigo would not survive the fight if he wasn't fully prepared.

"How does this work, ōssan? Shouldn't it move in the same direction as I am? Or does it take my intent and translate that into the proper direction?" For once, Ichigo was curious about the inner workings of a technique, because for once, he wasn't just throwing his power around like a giant hammer, or sword for that matter.

**"That is right, the eclipse uses your intent, denka, very astute. As long as you know who you are attacking, the eclipse will continue to attack, even if you are fooled by an illusion, the Kagebōshi will continue to attack the real body, such is the power you possess. However, you must keep in mind that it is your shadow, it cannot do what you cannot, like a true shadow, it is only capable of what you are capable of, further if you lose consciousness at anytime, the mist will fade, and with it your shadow figure,"** Tsukiyomi explained as he continued to attack and dodge attacks from both Ichigo and his shadow.

Ichigo nodded in understanding, jumping out of the way of a kick to his abdomen, "So this isn't exactly ideal for multiple opponents, especially if I'm targeting something else and I want it to attack a different target."

**"Precisely. The Kagebōshi is only capable of attacking that which you yourself are focusing on."**

"Good to know, at least now I won't make a stupid mistake," Ichigo grunted as he held off Tsukiyomi's blade, being relieved of his burden by a helpful slash from behind by his shadow.

**"You must react faster,"** Tsukiyomi commanded as Ichigo and the shadow attacked in tandem, though the shadow was noticeably slower. **"Aizen will see that weakness and exploit it."**

"I'm trying to dammit!"

**"Stop trying."**

Ichigo paused for a second before chuckling ruefully, "You're right. The time for trying is over, it's all or nothing now. Succeed or die. Right, c'mon, I still gotta learn how to control that silver mist too!"

Tsukiyomi smiled a small but proud smile at his partner. He'd do just fine.

* * *

Tōshirō panted harshly as he rest his full weight upon Hyōrinmaru, that last round nearly severed his legs from his torso. "Dammit, this can't go on for longer Kyōraku-taichō. We're barely standing as it is," the younger man insisted, his once pristine white hair now wet with sweat and sullied by dirt, ashes, and a few spots of red, though proud, the young captain was not above rolling on the ground if it would but buy him more time for Kurosaki's arrival.

From besides him, pink coat all smeared in various shades of dirt and blood, Shunshui voiced his agreement with a sigh. "We're the only ones in fighting condition, and I've got no idea where Yamamoto-oyaji is, his help would really go far right now," the eighth division's captain said as he held a palm to a rather large laceration to his abdomen.

"Oh my," came an oily voice from behind the two. "It seems I have found the two errant little mice." If either turned, they knew that behind them, smirking in that condescending way, was Aizen. Kyōraku cursed his wonderful luck under his breath, and wondered for the first time in a long time if this was the end of the road. He could buy Tōshirō enough time to escape, but doing so would, in all probable situations, cost him his life.

"Live a longer life than me Tōshirō-kun," the jovial man stated with a true sad yet happy tone as he stood, ignoring the pain that rippled up from the large injury and faintly felt Hitsugaya angrily leave, knowing that in the condition he was in, he would be of no help to Kyōraku. Faintly the Eighth division captain could hear the whistle of the keen edge of a sword slicing through the air and he prepared himself for the pain to blossom from his chest, but it never came. Instead the sharp clang of metal upon metal rang out.

"Oi! Kyōraku-ōssan! Don't go givin' up the fight just yet! You better not die, after all, you still owe me a drink when I'm old enough," a young man's voice declared cockily from just besides him. Unable to help the sudden bout of morbid curiosity, Shunsui turned his head and stared in amazement as Ichigo knelt by him, offering support while a shadowy figure held off Aizen's sword.

For a moment the captain was confused, then he realized that at that moment he didn't care how Kurosaki Ichigo had just saved him just that he had saved him and for that Kyōraku was immensely grateful. "Ever the hero, eh Kurosaki-kun? You have my thanks," Kyōraku said with visible relief.

Those harsh amber eyes flickered back to the older man and softened just slightly. "One good turn deserves another, Kyōraku-ōssan. That besides, I'm pretty sure that Fukutaichō of yours would have my head if she ever caught wind of you dying on my watch, and Karin would probably use me as a soccer ball…"

Ichigo trailed off as he wrapped an arm around Shunsui and jumped. It was a disconcerting feeling, Kyōraku would later remember, it was like stepping off a step you forgot was there, when the ground cheerily disappears from beneath your feet and for one horrifying moment you think you'll fall, and then the ground is there to reassure you just as suddenly as it was gone. One moment they were on the ground, the next Kyōraku was looking down at the rooftops of Karakura. As soon as Ichigo was sure of the captain's legs being capable of holding him up, he let him go. "Hey, Kyōraku-ōssan, you okay?

"Jeeze kid! Give a guy some warning before you do that," the elder man whined, comically clutching his chest as though his heart was bothering him.

"Sorry, just had to get the fuck outta dodge, and fast," Ichigo replied but didn't sound a whit repentant about what he did. In fact, he seemed to be laughing quietly to himself. "You're okay though right? I didn't forget any of yer body parts back there did I?"

Again, in an attempt to dull some of the sharp sense of urgency, Kyōraku pat himself down, even went so far as to appear to look down his pants to check on his 'mini-Kyōraku'. "Nope, we're good here," he responded jovially. Ichigo nodded seriously, as though agreeing about that matter, though his amber eyes sparkled with something one could call amusement.

"Kyōraku-ōssan, please stay out of the way, I've got this, I'm pretty sure Unohana-san can patch that up for you..." The way Ichigo spoke was vastly different from his former attitude, no longer was he joking, no longer did the sparkle of mirth shimmer in amber eyes, now he was completely serious, those amber eyes shone with a power unimaginable. To most, he would seem the same short tempered teenaged boy who took things far more seriously than he should. However, if one had seen him just before the sudden change, they could tell you that the Ichigo that gazed harshly over the top of Karakura was different. He was calmer, but it was a faux calm, like the calm in the eye of a storm or the calm of a hunting predator. There was a great power hiding within him, something that a lot of people already knew, but this was different, this was something so much more. It was like comparing the light of a distant star to the light of the sun if one took the current power level of Ichigo and compared it to his former levels, such was the difference.

Aizen smirked, so the ryoka boy thought he could take him on did he? "Oh, where did your fear go? You think that a few minutes were enough for you to even begin to imagine that you have skills enough to challenge me? Very well then ryoka boy. Come."

Amber eyes narrowed dangerously, there was that smarmy attitude again. Oh he'd enjoy this.

"Okay ass-hat, let's see if you like this," Ichigo growled softly and gathered his reiatsu far faster and eons more efficiently than anyone had ever seen him before. "Kaikinisshōku: Kagebōshi!"

* * *

Dictionary of terms

Taichō – captain

Sōtaichō – High Captain or Captain Commander

Denka – Prince (Used in place of Your Highness) It is an affectionate term as well as a term used to address a (young) prince

Maō-sama – King (used in place of My Lord or Your Highness)

Ryoka – interchangeable to mean intruder, rebel, invader, or outsider (can also loosely be taken to mean deserter)

Sereitei – The Soul Society ( When I refer to the Sereitei I mean the entirety of the Goteijūsantai )

Rukongai – The Wandering Soul City (where the non-shinigami residents of the afterlife are sent) With 320 districts (80 in each cardinal direction), the higher your district number, the worse life gets.

Goteijūsantai – The Thirteen Division Imperial Guards aka: The Gotei 13

Jigokuchō – Hell Butterfly, used to relay messages between Shinigami as well as guide souls to and from the World of the Living and Sereitei.

Nōdachi – "field sword" A looooong sword. Unohana's own Zanpakutō is considered a nōdachi, as it is some inches longer than the standard Zanpakutō. Ichigo's Tsukiyomi is a nōdachi, with roughly seventy inches (yes 70", metrically that's 1.8 m) between the top of the tsuba and the tip of the blade, Tsukiyomi measures out around seventy eight inches (78" that's a perfect 2 meters)

Tsuba – Hand guard (the guard at the top of the hilt) Most of you will note that Zangetsu's shikai does/did not have a tsuba.

Ōssan – Old man (Ichigo calls Zangetsu this, the term has continued on to refer to Tsukiyomi as it has turned into an affectionate nickname of sorts, though he doesn't appear as old as he did when disguised as Zangetsu)

Geta-Boshi – Sandal hat. Ichigo's name for one Urahara Kisuke.

Raikōhō – Thunder Roar Cannon

Hiryugekizokushitenraihō – Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven Shaking Thunder Cannon (that's a mouthful, try saying that five times fast both in English AND Japanese)

Kaikinisshōku: Kagebōshi – Total Solar Eclipse: Shadow Figure (This is what happens when the moon is positioned perfectly in front of the sun so that all we see is the shadow and the coronary filaments, it is very rare in real life and really freakin' amazing to watch. *further note please do not watch a solar eclipse without the proper eye protection*) As you may have guessed the Kaikinisshōku has multiple variations that Ichigo will explore/learn/utilize later.

Any other terms are common knowledge (I hope). So I'll assume my audience is smarter than the average bear and not include those. As a side note, I'd like to say that, YES, Tsukiyomi is exorbitantly large, but also note that so was Zangetsu, both in Bankai and Shikai. Tsukiyomi is almost twelve inches longer than Tensa Zangetsu, however, I figured that Ichigo, with him being as adaptable as he is shown to be, would barely notice the difference when he fights, as he does not utilize a lot of thrusts. He does tend to get up close and personal with his opponents often using Zangetsu as an improvised shield of sorts, and with Tsukiyomi he'll have to not fall into that habit (which he will, and we'll all laugh at his folly) due to the slimmer blade design. I'd also like to state that, while I'm sure most of you are worried that the story is going to end with Aizen, I'm not of the same mind. Sure, Aizen was the penultimate baddie, but he is not the "be all end all" of evil in the Bleach Universe. (just as there is no 'be all end all' evil in any universe…save Madara in Naruto. That asswipe is askin' for a Beat down...okay that was a bad pun. Sorry.) Rest assured much conflict and turmoil awaits Ichigo and his Zanpakutō further down the line. The only problem is how fast I'll be able to get the next chapter out. I have barely even planned it out and am so busy with my college work, so don't expect an update for at least a few weeks. (perhaps even a month or two)

With my rant over, I'll close up this chapter. Remember to drop me a line if you have complaints and shit. Can't fix things if the peeps don't tell me what ta fix.

Beat


	4. In Which the Guardian Wins

**The Truth of the Moon**

**Shintei no Getsuei**

by: Metronome's Beat

* * *

HOLY SHIT A CHAPTER UPDATE!

HOLY SHIT BEAT WAS PROPOSED TO!

AHHHHHH -queue the author becoming dazed and not knowing what to do and instead settles down to write-

Author's Notes: Ye gods. It's been almost two years?... Holy shit and a half... Sorry sorry, my health took a turn for the worse a few weeks after the last update so I went to the doc and they sent me to an oncologist, shitty shit shit that diagnosis was shitty news...anyway I nearly did something very very bad because, to quote Nozomu Itoshiki, I was in despair, the hopelessness of the situation put me in despair. ((ZETSUBO SHITA!))...ANYWAY! And then of course my lover had to watch over me, because I wasn't in a good place emotionally at that time. It's been a long and hard journey for me, and I still have a very long way to go to pass the point of 'all green', but that's no excuse and hopefully I can keep up my writing, especially because I've got someone special in my corner -glee-.

I apologize ahead of time, this chapter's fight may feel a little rushed and a tad one sided, however, I want to make it clear to those of you reading that Aizen doesn't have the aid of the Hōgyoku on his side, nor does he have the advantage of having Tsukiyomi constantly whispering advice into his ear. His sword is also pretty god damned useless against Ichigo right now.

I'd also like to state that YES. Tsukiyomi's basic properties were based upon Itachi's lines about his eyes and his all powerful genjutsu Tsukiyomi, but lacks whole 'debilitating to user' drawback. I know, I know, Ichigo is getting a little over powered in this fic, but it's not as though he instantaneously knows how to use it all, nor does he really understand the great gap in power between himself and the other Shinigami now, so he's not about to go challenge Yamamoto-Sōtaichō, because he's still of the firm belief that the old man is far stronger than he is (which is erroneous, there is a reason why the rulers of Soul Society think the Spirit King is godly, and even if our little Strawberry is still but the Prince, he's still a helluva lot stronger and junk than even the Sōtaichō).

With that out of the way, let's get this show rolling.

"Spoken word of humans/shinigami/arrancar unreleased," She said.

**"Speech of a hallow or Arrancar in their released state,"** He said.

_**'Thoughts of a zanpaktō to their wielder or a human,'**_ Tensa Zangetsu said.

((**Authoress' Notes:** Please. If you read anything of the above note, please take the time to read the following as well...

Beat...The silly child, was supposed to finish and post this chapter a long time ago...As you can tell, he never got around to it. First he was busy simply trying to accept what cards had been dealt to him and he very nearly took his life that week, then he found 'true love' (I am forever thankful to the person who dedicated little over nine months of their life to helping care for him and perpetually accepting and loving him for what he was, and for giving him the best nine months he could ever have. I'm so sorry that you never saw your wedding, that my brother never got to 'put a ring on it'.) and entered into an agonizing battle for his life mere days after. A battle that, unlike Kurosaki Ichigo's many battles, ended in tragedy and the loss of the hero at the end of the day. That chapter note. He wrote that just a few weeks into his treatments. When he passed I lacked the strength of will to immediately start writing. I am sorry, to HIS audience that I took so long. _Grief is a heavy burden to carry, and letting go isn't as easy as people would like you to think it is._))

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**In which the Guardian Wins**

* * *

The shadow formed smoothly and emerged gracefully from the black fog, appearing to absorb the excess as it solidified. The slight jingle of the shadow's sword tassel against the blade as he lazily brought it up to bear was the only noise that permeated the suddenly heavy air within the replicated Karakura town. Aizen's only response was to keep his oily smirk upon his face, and Ichigo could only glare with hatred at the man, hoping that in his arrogance, Aizen would be the first to move.

"Your parlor tricks will do nothing to help you boy," Aizen claimed, "for not only do I have the Hōgyoku, but mine is the ultimate sword when it concerns illusions. I'm afraid that despite your efforts, it was too little, far too late."

Ichigo appeared to snarl before relaxing as Tsukiyomi calmly spoke him down from his ire. Remember, denka, what Komamura said about Aizen Sōsuke. He is a master at making you loose yourself, the voice whispered in his mind firmly, calm yourself now, or you will have lost the battle before you even attempt to make your first strike. Ichigo gave a small, almost imperceptible, nod of his head as he acknowledged his Zanpakutō's words. He had to stay calm to use what he had learned anyway, so being mad was not going to help him here. Why on earth his Zanpakutō required the utmost calm while performing majority of his (Tsukiyomi was a he after all, and wouldn't you be insulted if someone called you an it?) special abilities and attacks was beyond him, who was often loudly brash and all for dashing headlong into things and beating them until they either didn't get up again for a good while, or saw things his way.

The shadow brought his sword up in a defensive stance as Ichigo assumed a lazy guard. According to Tsukiyomi, Aizen was the type of person who would be insulted if you didn't take them seriously. So he was going to play at the bastard's own game and make him mad. The affront to the man's ego worked, and with a soft snarl, Aizen was on him like red on blood. The blows exchanged were furious and fast, and indeed, Ichigo found himself having to rely on his Shadow to parry a blow more than once. Where the Shadow was, Ichigo wasn't, at times Ichigo would parry a hit for the Shadow, and at others the Shadow would blithely counter a hit that Ichigo wouldn't be able to block. The two worked in tandem, both to keep the blows off the other as well as to try and get in hits of their own. A swift thrust was dodged by jumping up and creating a small platform of spirit particles in the air mere nanometers above the flat of Kyoka Suigetsu so that he was basically standing on the sword, and from within Ichigo's head, Tsukiyomi could hear the outraged screams from the water flower with ambitions to be the moon. From there Ichigo lashed out with a punishing axe kick to Aizen's right shoulder and was well away before the wanna be godling could react due to his focus being on the Shadow while he was attempting a round house on the bastard. It wasn't a blade, but he was pretty sure the fact that the bastard was now favoring his left side meant that a reiatsu reinforced leg could still do a good deal of damage. Sure, he didn't hear the morbidly satisfying crunch of a bone breaking, but with the amount of force he had put into that kick, he could almost guarantee that Aizen's right collar bone was fractured in several places from the stress put on it.

"Now who's too slow, eh bastard," Ichigo asked with a confident smirk. If he wasn't allowed to loose his temper, then he was damn well going to taunt his opponent, despite Tsukiyomi's grumbled complaints of it not being dignified for one of his station.

"You have no idea what you are toying with boy," Aizen nearly snarled. He was positively livid, how dare this child think he could possibly be his equal. He was the one destined to be a god, to destroy and create as he saw fit, and this boy was fool enough to try taunting him!

Ichigo, to his credit, simply rolled his eyes and lightly jumped backwards and away from the sudden slash aimed towards his legs. There was a rule in fighting that Ichigo had learned the hard way, never let your opponent catch you in the air, unless you were a martial artist that specialized in Aerial Combat like that one kid from Nerima in Tokyo, but he said he had been trained specifically in a school that was focused on combat that included many high jumps and aerial maneuvers, so it was basically asking for your opponent to take the giant target you gave them and hit it with everything they've got.

So when Aizen thought he could press the advantage as though Ichigo was some sort of unexperienced neophyte, he was only too happy to demonstrate the nearly reflexive nature of creating a platform of spirit particles under his feet to give him leverage against the sudden downstroke of a sword aiming for his torso and return the slash with interest compounded thanks to his Shadow. He then ducked under a higher slash, blithely dancing away from the blade with a mocking flourish of a twirl, his shihakusho flowing out behind him almost regally. The long nōdachi was not ideal for close combat, but Ichigo was used to having a Melee type Zanpakutō, and so used Tsukiyomi as he would use Tensa Zangetsu, thus his return strike was swift and powerful, utilizing none of his sword's special capabilities. Aizen of course noticed this, but thought he did so for other reasons, since he figured that everyone in their right mind would try out their sword's new capabilities if given half the chance.

"What's wrong, boy, afraid that you can't control the power of such a sword," he questioned tauntingly with an oily smirk.

Ichigo scoffed, deliberately pissing Aizen off once again. "As if I could ever be afraid of ōssan," he paused then realized that this was his chance to set Aizen off his rocker, "I just don't need to rely upon his superior illusion techniques to deal with you. Like I said, me and my shadow are more than enough to take care of the likes of you."

"I will put you in your place boy, and show you that your impudence is ill placed." If Ichigo had been aiming to make Aizen furious, it worked, as the man was now visibly angered, a feat in an of itself, seeing as how the manipulative bastard was tops when it came to self control, something that Ichigo had to grudgingly respect in the bastard. To take jarring things in stride had never been one of his strong points, as evidenced by his regular outbursts with his father and against Rukia when she would do or say something that rubbed him the wrong way. So he did have a respect for Aizen in that sense, but that was it, and killing the bastard wouldn't really eat away at his mental stability, if anything, it'd help the substitute Shinigami sleep at night, knowing that a monster like him had been neutralized and that his family in Karakura, not only his father and sisters, but Chad, Inoue, Ishida, Mizuiro, Tatsuki, and Keigo as well, were safe from his nefarious schemes. Belatedly he also realized that he wanted to keep his Shinigami and Vizard friends safe as well, not just Rukia and the clumsy Hanataro whom he grew fond of, but Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Love, Lisa, and hell even crazy ass bastards like Shinji, Hiyori, Kenpachi, and Byakuya, though he wasn't too sure about Mayuri.

_**"Exactly Denka, keep that feeling and use it to strike our foe. When you cross Aizen, what do you feel?"**_ The smooth tenor voice of his sword echoed through out his soul, encouraging him to analyze the situation further than just what was on the surface, not realizing that his sword was cultivating in him a skill he would need desperately later down the road.

"Nothing," Ichigo breathed in realization. "Absolutely nothing at all. He's angry, but he can't even seem to put his anger in his sword." Even as he spoke and brought Tsukiyomi up to deflect a thrust, he could feel nothing from the sword of the man with a major God complex. It was empty and unfeeling, devoid of most of the power that a sword should have, the soul of their wielder in perfect harmony.

_**"That is because he and Kyoka Suigetsu do not trust one another, Denka. She will do as Aizen asks, only because she wants to be the best. And he will demand things of her, but never give his trust to her, because he considers her nothing more than a tool. They fight alone, never together, never in harmony."**_

"Kinda sad, if you ask me," Ichigo said, loud enough for Aizen to hear, "that even with all your power and your supposed knowledge, you can't listen to something that is a part of you." His head, tilted upwards, to look askance at the man, his honey gold eyes shone with compassion. "I suppose though, that the two of you are perfectly paired, each holding the other back, neither granting full and unwavering support of the other."

Aizen frowned slightly, not liking the sympathetic tone of the boy, nor the implications that he was not as powerful as he should be. "What sort of nonsensical drivel are you spouting about now? Surely you don't expect me to suddenly want for friendship or company. A sword is a sword, even if it is a Zanpakutō."

"And that is why, inevitably, you'll loose this battle," Ichigo said from behind him, Aizen's eyes widened a fraction, as the boy before him slowly lost color, though a smirk was still on shadowed lips. It was only through his honed reflexes that allowed him the continued connection of his head to his body, as he narrowly dodged the wickedly sharp cutting edge of Tsukiyomi, though he did loose that one strand of hair that he always kept from being slicked back. At that his face contorted into a snarl, it had taken him months to figure out how to make that single lock of hair stay together and not look lank and limp.

But before he could growl out a threat, Aizen found himself involuntarily on the move, having been distracted by the loss of his special lock of hair, this time flying through the air courtesy of a snap kick to his jaw from the Shadow, or was that the real boy? The two seemed to shift between roles like mist in the night, and though he would never admit it, Aizen thought that the inability to tell between the two at times was disconcerting. Briefly he wondered if this is what the victims of his shikai felt when they dealt with his dopplegangers and for a single instance the man felt something aside from contempt for other people, he actually sympathized, but just as fast as it came, that moment was gone and he was focusing on the battle before him once more. Righting himself, Aizen turned his most glacial glare towards the boy, and damn did he hope this was really the boy and not that damnable shadow, "Such arrogance is unbefitting someone of such a lowly station," he growled, "let me remind you of your place."

Holding Kyoka Suigetsu before him he prepared to unleash his Zanpakutō to even the playing field. "Kuda-" but before he could finish the release command, he found a fist implanted firmly in his face. It was a rather uncomfortable sensation, and then time caught up with him and he found himself flying through the air.

"What's wrong bastard? Can't see me? Surely you can follow my movements. You who touts the title of wielding the most powerful sword of illusionary capabilities," Ichigo called, his voice taunting, smirk mocking, his eyes brightening to a cold topaz and glittering with sadistic amusement, this man deserved every ounce of pain he was meting out on him, no he wouldn't feel bad about kicking him around.

Angered now beyond belief, Aizen snarled, "WHY?! Why can't I feel your spiritual pressure boy?!"

Now Ichigo snorted, his smirk turning even more aggravating, if that was at all possible as he dodged a furious slash, blithely dancing from Kyoka Suigetsu's cutting edge and batting it away when a thrust was aimed at his torso with Tsukiyomi's abnormally long blade. "You sure you want to know the truth, you might not be able to handle the truth bastard."

Another growl and a series of efficient slashes and thrusts, all of which were dodged or parried by either the boy or his Shadow, Aizen found himself loosing ground against the duo, and with every inch he gave he found himself growing more and more desperate. Perhaps now was time to use his trump card, if the boy would not allow him to unseal Kyoka Suigetsu, then he would utilize another tool he had within his grasp. "I mean, I could tell you, but then it may end up breaking your brain, and it seems that brain of yours is the only selling point to you right about now," Ichigo stated between dodging and parrying, though Aizen couldn't be sure which figure it was coming from.

"It matters not, ryoka boy, I have already won this fight, from the moment you stepped out of that portal you were fated to loose against a God," he declared surely, eyes unwavering, showing his absolute belief in his words. As he spoke he held out his hand, and as though reaching between the very fabric of space itself reached into a hole that formed from the spirit particles in the air. He palmed something in the pocket and brought it out to hold before his face between his thumb and forefinger.

"Well, if you say so, but I don't understand how this little marble will help you at all," Ichigo declared from besides him, eyeing the luminescent little orb with the interest a young child would exhibit for their father's watch. Before Aizen, the one that had been speaking slowly shifted once again to the Shadow, and he found his ire rising as the boy seemed to peer at the ponderously powerful, priceless pink pearl in Aizen's hand with unabashed curiosity.

Adopting his trademarked smarmy look of superiority, Aizen proceeded to teach the ignorant young ryoka just how the doom of Seireitei was now held in his hand. "You could never begin to perceive the true nature of the Hogyōku, it's powers to grant what the user wishes are nigh unlimited, I believe that your friend Orihime's powers are very much like it, though in a different spectrum of course."

Ichigo made a face, "A little pink jewel that grants wishes? Tch, sounds like something from a late 90's shonen manga with too many pretty boys and a girl that wears stupidly short skirts, but if you say so."

((Authoress' Note: As a reader, I hate notes that appear halfway through a chapter, but I'm going to put one here anyway because I feel that you, as the audience, have a right to know this... This is where Beat stopped writing. He couldn't focus for too long without crippling headaches or getting nauseous and throwing up, part of the reason he went to the doctors... From here on out, I'll be the one writing, but everything is based off of the hand written notes and outlines that Beat left in my care. I'm sorry if the style is different, I'll try to stay true to how he writes, but as it is, I'm not my little brother.))

Aizen sneered, re-pocketed the Hogyōku and held Kyōka Suigetsu to the side, readying his release phrase. Ichigo, unsure if the illusionary power of the moonflower would have any hold upon his mind and not at all willing to take the risk, acted quickly and shunpō'd directly into Aizen intent on bowling the man over bodily. Or at least, that's what he had planned on doing. Ichigo forgot to take into account how much faster he was moving now. What was supposed to be a shoulder tackle had transformed Ichigo into a veritable wrecking ball, and had the young man been relaxed enough, he would have cackled at the sight of Aizen tumbling arse over kettle through the air until a conveniently placed wall ended his trip rather abruptly. There was no time to snicker over the 'Aizen shaped hole' in the wall, but he did allow himself a snort of amusement.

"Oi, Aizen, I thought you were going to do something about my impudence," he called down cockily, smirking as he quirked a brow in challenging question.

Aizen narrowed his eyes at the substitute shinigami in hatred, and as he pulled himself from the wall, he tried to retain his dignity by brushing a bit of cement dust from his shoulder nonchalantly. "Kuda-"

Again, Ichigo didn't let him release his Zanpakutō, this time going in and slashing with his blade towards the middle of Aizen's head, having no time to completely dodge, it forced the man to quickly bring up his sword to block. "If you think I'm about to let you get one up on me, you're fucking insane," Ichigo snarled, going from arrogant and almost playful to seething and stormy in his anger in just half second. When Aizen seemed about to speak, Ichigo retaliated, pushing Tsukiyomi roughly against Kyōka Suigetsu, forcing the wanna be god to take a step back through the sheer difference in physical strength. Ichigo took a grim pleasure in seeing Tsukiyomi's sharp edge bite into the moonflower's steel and, at the gleefully howled urgings of his Hallow, pressed harder, smirking almost viciously when Tsukiyomi bit into the other blade's tempered steel even further. "The world has too much at stake, I have too much at banking on me being able to either capture you or, failing that, lop your head from your body, and honestly? I'm hoping for the latter, because a living and spirit world without having to worry about your plots in either will give me a large chunk of peace ...of mind!"

Aizen hardly had time to jump away as Ichigo punctuated his last two words by pushing forward with a sudden and vicious swing. His eyes widened as Kyōka Suigetsu was cleaved in twain, the Ryoka boy's sword ripping through a screaming moonflower like so much paper. His hand now held something that looked less like a standard Zanpakutō and more like Ichimaru's Shinsō. So surprised was he that he momentarily forgot about the boy's maddening shadow puppet, which now darted inside his guard and raised it's sword, energy flowing up the tip with the upswing and condensing into a blazing corona of black and silver. This was not a polished and refined technique, just raw, roaring, unrestrained power. The shadow swung downwards and Aizen found himself on the run as he dodged whistling swings, roaring energy, bone breaking punches, and devastating snap kicks from either the boy himself or that annoying shadow. It was as if the boy was slowly learning and adapting to him, anticipating his moves and figuring out where he would be next. It was as if he were slowly attaining not just heightened awareness, but omnipotence of the battlefield and his enemies. The boy really had turned into a threat. He cursed his arrogance, lamenting how should have exterminated him months ago on Sōkyoku Hill. To think, one of the members of the Royal Family, right under his nose the entire time. He could have had the throne _that very day_ had he known. _'Months of planning, and it could have been simple as killing a single boy, and now that very boy stands before me as an impassible wall,'_ Aizen bitterly realized.

In that moment of epiphany, Ichigo pressed his advantage and delivered a brutal upwards roundhouse kick to Aizen's spine. This kick was profound in it's effect, not only did it send Aizen flying, there was a loud series of crunches originating at the point of contact, AND the sudden attack loosed a particular pink jewel from the confines of a certain man's spiritual hold and onto the pavement. It chimed innocently as it bounced once. Twice. A third time. Rolling slowly back towards it's 'master' only to come to a full stop upon hitting heel of the single foot that the shinigami substitute was standing on after he had delivered the kick. Had the young substitute been less focused on the battle, he would have noticed it pulse once upon its contact with him. Instead the little jewel was unintentionally kicked away as he leapt up towards. The Hōgyōku rolled under the collapsed ruins of a house, but it was here in the deep shadows that revealed the subtle change that had overcome the stone. Where before it had simply shimmered with the light of it's power, it now pulsed delicately, so much so, that it was almost lost in it's very own aura, in time with the beating of a heart. A very specific heart in fact. But now wasn't the time for contemplating jewels and auras and synchronistic tempos that were forged.

With a short kiai Ichigo thrust Tsukiyomi's point through Aizen's back, the tip slid between ribs like butter, slicing through arteries, puncturing a lung, and bursting from the man's front with only a small splatter of blood. They both knew that he wouldn't die with just this, but without time to heal and regenerate what had been damaged, the man was in no position to retaliate. As Ichigo supported the would be god upon his sword he spoke quietly. "For what it's worth, Aizen, I'm not sorry you had to die, but I am sorry that it was by my blade."

"Foolish...Ryoka..." Aizen managed to gasp, eyes staring at the bright blue skies as he had lost all feeling and ability to move anything below his mid back. "You can not even imagine stopping me...I. am. a. GOD!" He held his hand out, as though calling something forth. But despite his grasping hand and look of concentration, whatever he was calling did not come forward nor appear. Suddenly his face contorted in frantic rage. "WHY DO YOU NOT ANSWER MY CALL?! HŌGYŌKU, COME TO YOUR MASTER'S HAND!"

Ichigo scoffed, "Looks like your hidden ace is more of a joker than you are, Aizen." With a twist of his hand, Tsukiyomi's blade tore through the lung it had punctured, the bones of the ribcage blocking it, and skin and muscles of the chest and back, erupting from Aizen's side in a spray of blood. The man fell to the ground, landing harshly against unforgiving asphalt and was unable to move even as Ichigo slowly made his way to stand over him. His shadow figure joined him on the other side of Aizen's body and began to channel spiritual power through it's sword, raising it above it's head, but did not strike. All the man could do was gaze up at the gleaming edge of the sword with mounting apprehension.

Tsukiyomi spoke to Ichigo in that second, rising up from the blade as a misty figure that was visible to all, his right hand resting upon his wielder's shoulder in a show of loyalty and support. _**"Denka, it is our Imperial duty to pass judgement upon him. To let the courts attempt a farce of a trial would only make it annoying to get them to listen when we need to exercise our authority in the future. We shall pass judgement before the audience here. They will relay to the Council of 46 and the High Commander what has befallen Sōsuke Aizen."**_

Concealed in the shadows, a proud smile adorned the lips of a goateed man as he watched his oldest listen to his Zanpakutō with a grim nod. "Good boy Ichigo. Listening to our partners is one of the most important things to remember in our positions," the man congratulated his son quietly, proud of his maturity and growth. Next to him, two others exchanged glances. They knew exactly what was going on, but hadn't realized that the one they had called student for a short time had harbored so much power. Potential, yes, they both knew and acknowledged that the young man they now watched had a nigh bottomless ocean of potential to grow into. But even limitless potential had to be nurtured into power and skill.

From the sidelines, people could only watch in amazement. Hiyori, just barely patched up to the point where she wasn't in immediate danger, looked on in tired disbelief. Shinji was openly gaping. Hitsugaya scowled slightly, muttering about how he wanted to kill Aizen and how unfair it was that Kurosaki Ichigo had made it look foolishly easy, but was still smirking, at last that bastard would pay for what he had done. Kyōraku whistled appreciatively once again, wasn't every day one got to see the true form of a Royal Sword after all, not that anyone else currently conscious was aware of just what or who Ichigo Kurosaki and his Tsukiyomi were. Those who knew of Zangetsu were confused because that was /not/ him. Despite that they were still in as much awe as the rest. This regal figure was really part of Kurosaki? That boy obviously had hidden depths that very few had ever glimpsed apparently.

Ichigo nodded, heeding Tsukiyomi's words, and relaying to the would be god what consequences his actions have reaped using words his Zanpakutō supplied to him. "Aizen Sōsuke," the young man solemnly pronounced, "for your actions against the entirety of the Seireitei, the Imperial Court finds you guilty. For having hand in the murder of several officers of the Goteijūsantai, including Shiba Kaien, Heir Apparent to the Noble House of Shiba, and over one hundred aspiring Shinigami students, the 3rd Imperial Court finds you guilty. For your treasonous acts against the 3rd Imperial Family, the 3rd Imperial Court finds you guilty. For conspiring to murder the Spirit King, the 3rd Imperial Court finds you guilty...For the attempted murder of the Imperial Prince and his consort, the 3rd Imperial Court finds you guilty."

With each charge listed, Aizen felt a strange sensation growing in him. It was cold and hot and quavering. It urged him to scream and run, to come to his knees and beg. It was more than simple fear. It was pure unadulterated terror. There was something different about the boy as he spoke. He possessed a power unlike any other Aizen had ever come across, it wasn't just the quantity, but the effect it was having upon the very essences of those within it's sphere of influence. It was an omniscient cloud of soft light that threatened to erase him from the very pages of history.

"In lieu of an individual punishment for each of these charges, the 3rd Imperial Court Decrees that Aizen Sōsuke, and all that he was and shall ever be, shall be expunged absolutely from the annals of time. We cannot change what has happened in the past, but no physical evidence shall remain that one Sōsuke Aizen ever existed. Your holdings will be burned and leveled, your zanpakutō shall be thrown to the void and your soul shall henceforth reside eternity in the nothingness between dimensions where it will be unable to interact with any universe. Any allies you have retained in this defeat shall have their memories completely erased. Records containing your name, your actions, your words shall be altered and destroyed. You wished to leave your mark upon this world, so We have decided that your punishment shall be the exact opposite. It shall be as though you never existed. So We have spoken, so mote it be," the young man stated with finality, and gave a short nod to his shadow. His shadow, whose face mirrored his own, gave no hint of what it's master was thinking, planted it's feet and with a soundless shout, released the gathered energy straight into Aizen's chest. At this Ichigo closed his eyes and turned away, refusing to watch what was happening even as Tsukiyomi told him what would occur and his hallow gave him a gruesome 'blow by blow' as it were.

To the ones watching, it was as though nothing happened at first, though those hidden in the shadows winced ever so slightly. Aizen himself was about to laugh at the foolish boy, his fear vanishing at his non-death, but then a terrible sensation overcame him, it was like being on fire but freezing at the same time. Like knives were biting into his skin and salt water being dripped into the cuts. It was like all the noises of the world decided to assault him all at once, but also like an oppressive silence was smothering him. His body slowly started to disintegrate into spirit particles. It started at where the energy had hit him moving outwards slowly, agonizingly. By the time he had the strength to scream, his vocal chords had gone. The particles hung in the air as a shimmering gray orb then it began to fold in on itself, smaller and smaller until there was nothing left.

For a long moment there was silence and then...

"FUCKING YEAH!"

Everyone who still had their legs still attache jumped.

"THAT BASTARD DID IT! I TOLD YOU HE COULD DO IT! DIDN'T I TELL YOU ASSHOLES HE COULD DO IT?!"

Madarame Ikkaku. Ever the elocutionist. Only to reel forward from a slipper thrown at the back of his head.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? I ALMOST DIED! AGAIN! FROM FRIGHT!"

Enter Hiyori. Even half dead she wasn't one someone could joke lightly with.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM SHRIMP?!"

"MY PROBLEM IS YOU SCARING THE LIVING FUCK OUT OF ME IS MY PROBLEM!"

Ichigo watched in amusement as the two argued further, before turning to the three conscious Captains. His face becoming serious in an instant."Well, I know that you probably wanted to take him back for questioning and to undergo a proper trial...but Aizen could-"

Kyōraku held up his hand and shook his head, speaking before the other two could question the young man. "It's okay Kurosaki-kun, really. You were well within your rights, and the Council of 46 cannot overturn a sentence to the Between once given, much less so any sentence given by the High Imperial Court."

Ichigo half frowned, ruffling the back of his hair in either annoyance or distress, either could fit his current countenance. "Yeah... About that, I was just saying what Ōssan told me to say, so-"

Again the captain of the Eighth division cut the young man off. "And you were right to follow in his lead. You have permanently insured that Sōsuke Aizen can never again threaten the balance of the Universe, without bloodying your hands or risking him ever being released from his prison had Central 46 been the ones to sentence him. There is no escape from Between, and only the most dangerous souls even get considered for it, but I can assure you, for what that man did, Aizen deserves every second of the rest of eternity in the nothingness. You did the right thing Kurosaki-kun. You should be proud of your levelheadedness in the face of what you have experienced and how you've changed. I know I am. And Kurosaki-kun? ...Thanks."

Slowly the scowl softened into a smile and sharp topaz colored eyes lost their serious edge, warming to a glimmering honey. "Any time, Kyōraku-ōssan. It's my duty after all."

Over the sound of Hiyori and Ikkaku yelling at one another, there was a loud scream. "ICHIGOOOOOOOOOO! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" Instinctively, Ichigo turned around house kick into his father's face. And then froze. His...father? His face slackened comically in surprise, eyes going wide and mouth dropping open as he pointed at the man that was on the ground cradling the impact crater that had become his face. "WAAAHH MASAKI OUR SON IS SO VIOLENT TO HIS FATHER!"

"Goat... face?"

Getting up suddenly, Isshin smiled at his son, it wasn't the exaggerated and exuberant smile it normally was, but rather a calm, proud smile that made a world of difference, turning the eccentric man's normally outrageous face into a regal and benevolent visage. He was dressed in a shinigami outfit with a few alterations, which was a far cry from his standard hawaiian print shirts and khaki slacks. "Ichigo, you have triumphed in the face of adversity time and time again, I am sorry I could not tell you each time you came home battered and bruised from defending the innocent from hallows, just how proud I am to be your father. Your mother is so proud of you, I am so proud of you. You have not only cared for your sisters as best you can, going as far as putting your body on the line, but you have cared for people you didn't even know. You have shown leadership and a level head in times of great stress, compassion and concern where others are apathetic and willing to turn their heads. While you have made mistakes, you are young, it is expected of you."

"Wh...how," the orange haired teen ever so intelligently stuttered. "You..knew? The entire time, you knew?"

"Yep! Ever since Rukia-chan transferred her powers to you, which was really unnecessary because had you been in any real danger that night, Tsukiyomi would have awakened and taken care of the problem. But since she did, it gave you some time to see how the Shinigami work and operate in the living world, which, to be honest, was pretty damn convenient for me and the rest of the Court. We suddenly didn't have to wait years for your Spiritual Power to grow on it's own!"

"So..You knew that Rukia was sleeping in my closet, that Geta-Bōshi and Yoruichi were training me, that Kon was the one in my body whenever I had to take care of a hallow..." Ichigo pointed out with a deadpan face to match his tone.

"Right again!"

"And when the Shinigami came over?"

"Well of course I knew what they were! How terrible would it be for me to forget what makes a Shinigami in a gigai different from a human!"

"...And Shinji and the rest of the Vizard?"

"I am one of the people who helped Kisuke and the other hide away from Central 46."

"...GODDAMIT GOAT-FACE I SPENT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO TRYING TO HIDE ALL THAT FROM YOU AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO," Ichigo roared before launching his father into the air with the same kick that had launched Aizen just minutes before. He wasn't angry that his father had been hiding a dangerous world from them for so long. He wasn't angry that his father was a Shinigami. He was angry that all of the times he had to shove people back into closets, fight off stupid old men raving about him doing illicit things with Rukia in his room, all of the times he had to shove Kon in a dustbin to- okay no, that was fun, he wasn't complaining about that. But still. Almost ALL of those embarrassing episodes could have been avoided.

"WAAAAH! MISAKI OUR SON HATES MEEEE!"

_**"Idiot,"**_ came a soft baritone voice from over Ichigo's shoulder. Turning around he saw a misty figure that looked very much like Tsukiyomi, but very much unlike Tsukiyomi. _**"I told the dolt that he should have waited until later if he didn't want to get launched into L.E.O. but he didn't listen, probably wanted to give you something familiar to hold onto as your world is turned on it's head. Your dad loves you kid. Don't doubt that."**_

Tsukiyomi appeared then, giving a short bow to the older looking man. _**"Father."**_

The man smirked at his son. _**"So, finally ditched the old man costume, eh? It's about time. Your kid is going to need all the help he can get. There's trouble brewing on the horizon, and the second and first courts have been having a hell of a time keeping the third out of it. With this sentencing everyone will know that the Third Imperial Court is back in action, something that hasn't happened since Izanami and her partner ascended to take full responsibility of the First over nine hundred years ago. They'll all be eager to meet the newest Heir Apparent and everyone will be wondering who's soul is hiding your counter part. Exciting and trying times are ahead of us son, take care of him, yeah?"**_

Tsukiyomi snorted derisively, _**"I don't need you telling me that, I have always cared for Ichigo, even when he didn't know I was here..."**_

Ichigo blinked. Once. Twice. Rapid blinking, eyes sliding from Tsukiyomi to the spirit he had called father, then back. "Did I...miss something?" His hallow was laughing hysterically in the background, though why the young man knew not.

The moon god smirked, _**"Ichigo, as your father is Kurosaki Isshin, this is my father, Izanagi-no-Mikoto...he is the spirit of Isshin's Zanpakutō."**_

"Wait. That's Wait wait wait! I STILL don't get how you went from Zangetsu to Tsukiyomi. And now you're telling me that my DAD'S Zanpakutō is YOUR DAD?! And what is this about Imperial Courts? Is the Spirit King involved in all of this? Why is Izanagi, a GOD of all things, HERE EVEN?! What the HELL is going on," Ichigo demanded agitatedly. He didn't like being unsure of things, everything was happening too fast. He wanted an explanation. Now. Tsukiyomi and Izanagi looked at each other, the elder cringed at Tsukiyomi's withering glare. Perhaps the child should have been allowed to remain ignorant a little longer. At least then he wouldn't have his son AND his son's partner's ire directed at him. Aizen could have been sealed up by the scientist man...that dolt Isshin! This was all his fault.

A melodious female voice broke through the awkward and oppressive silence, "Language, Ichigo!" Said teen's head snapped up so fast one would have thought that he had given himself whiplash. Honeyed eyes widened looking around frantically. That voice. He knew that voice. The air fifty feet in front of him seemed to shatter, creating what looked to be a glowing doorway of colored glass. There was a feminine silhouette behind the glass door, and as it slowly opened, Ichigo witnessed a person he thought he'd never see again, step forward into the world of the living.

She was clothed in resplendent silks of glimmering silver and dark grey patterned with the red-crowned cranes flying through cloudy skies, her outer most robe billowed in an unfelt wind, sleeves and hem fading into a thick mist that rolled around her feet. Her auburn hair was done up in the back with an elegant three strand loop that curled and twisted around a golden ornament, though a few strands had escaped their bindings and fell forward in gentle waves to frame her heart shaped face. Kind coffee colored eyes were framed with long lashes and glittered with love and pride for the young man they were fixed upon, and her light red painted lips were curved into a gentle smile.

"MASAAAKIII! YOU'VE FINALLY COME TO RESCUE ME FROM OUR ABUSIVE SON!" Just as instinctively as before Ichigo planted his foot in his father's face, all without breaking his gaze from the woman.

"...M...Mother?"

* * *

**Metronome: ...Yeah. I just did that. I just left ended in the most cliche way possible. Beat would be so proud of me... I miss him. I wish he could write the rest of this. My style is totally unsuited for the action genre. I'll put a link up of how Ichigo currently in...well I suppose it's profile now. -insert heavy sigh here-**

Dictionary of terms **((This is Metronome, I've updated Beat's Dictionary to be more in depth so that you can further understand the titles and the exact weight they carry, my alterations will be in bold...))**

Fukutaichō - Vice-captain **This word is a combination between fuku and taicho. Fuku is 'assistant' or 'duplicate'. It does NOT mean Lieutenant as the english dub would have you believe.**

Taichō – Captain **This is not specifically captain, it is used by those under the command of an officer to address them or refer to them. Taichō means simply Commanding Officer. In American military you'd call them your "C.O."**

Sōtaichō – High Captain or Captain Commander **Again this is not an exact term. Sō is a term that is usually applied to another word to refer to it as a /whole/. By tacking it onto the front of the commanding officer it denotes that this person is the commander of /all/ of the forces and answers to none but their king or president.**

Denka – Your Highness. Tsukiyomi uses it as an affectionate term as well, but generally it is used as a term used to address a (young) prince or princess. **Denka is a word used for a non-ruling royal family member. While we do not have these differentiating terms in english it is important for the japanese, since they follow very rigid societal structures.**

Ōu-sama – King or Emperor **This term is used strictly to refer to a Sovereign ruler. It is not used to address them.**

Heika - Your Majesty **Again, this is a word that we don't really have a good enough definition for. But it is only used to address Kings, Queens (who are the true rulers and not just consorts), and Emperors/Empresses.**

Ryoka – interchangeable to mean intruder, rebel, invader, or outsider (can also loosely be taken to mean deserter)

Zanpakutō - Soul-cutter. (if you don't know what that is, I demand to ask you what you're doing in the Bleach genre)

Seireitei – The Soul Society ( When I refer to the Seireitei I mean the entirety of the Goteijūsantai )

Rukongai – The Wandering Soul City (where the non-shinigami residents of the afterlife are sent) With 320 districts (80 in each cardinal direction), the higher your district number, the worse life gets.

Goteijūsantai – The Thirteen Division Imperial Guards aka: The Gotei 13

Jigokuchō – Hell Butterfly, used to relay messages between Shinigami as well as guide souls to and from the World of the Living and Seireitei.

Nōdachi – "field sword" A looooong sword. Unohana's own Zanpakutō is considered a nōdachi, as it is some inches longer than the standard Zanpakutō. Ichigo's Tsukiyomi is a nōdachi, with roughly seventy inches (yes 70", metrically that's 1.8 m) between the top of the tsuba and the tip of the blade, Tsukiyomi measures out around seventy eight inches (78" that's a perfect 2 meters, basically, think Sephiroth's Masamune)

Tsuba – Hand guard (the guard at the top of the hilt) Most of you will note that Zangetsu's shikai does/did not have a tsuba.

Ōssan – Old man (Ichigo calls Zangetsu this, the term has continued on to refer to Tsukiyomi as it has turned into an affectionate nickname of sorts, though he doesn't appear as old as he did when disguised as Zangetsu)

Geta-Bōshi – Sandal hat. Ichigo's name for one Urahara Kisuke.

Raikōhō – Thunder Roar Cannon

Hiryugekizokushitenraihō – Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven Shaking Thunder Cannon (that's a mouthful, try saying that five times fast both in English AND Japanese)

Kaikinisshōku: Kagebōshi – Total Solar Eclipse: Shadow Figure (This is what happens when the moon is positioned perfectly in front of the sun so that all we see is the shadow and the coronary filaments, it is very rare in real life and really freakin' amazing to watch. *further note please do not watch a solar eclipse without the proper eye protection*) As you may have guessed the Kaikinisshōku has multiple variations that Ichigo will explore/learn/utilize later.


End file.
